Like Always
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: Danny had had her back for over twenty years, so when self-doubt surfaced, she counted on him to be there - like always. Danny/Lindsay Flack/OC.


**A/N: Austin is a character of my own making. She's Flack's love interest, but she's Danny best friend. I wanted to show a little bit of that. So, yeah. Enjoy the Messthorne. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, 'sides Austin. **

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Soul mates in the nonsensical, childhood love, best friend way. Danny Messer and Austin Hawthorne had known one another since Austin was five and Danny was seven. Austin's older brother, Andy, was Danny's best friend in the first grade and one day Danny had come over to play with Andy. Austin had stepped outside with her hands on her hips to yell at Andy for tossing her barbie doll in the washer – again. Danny had rescued Malibu Barbie and spent the rest of the afternoon playing cops and robbers with his best friend's little sister.

From that day forward, they were inseparable. Danny only lived two houses down and when Austin's dad started drinking, Austin spent many nights crawling through Danny Messer's bedroom window. Danny always had one arm around Austin and the other poised at the idiot trying to hurt her. Austin's freshman year of high school, Danny introduced her to Don Flack, and in five minutes, changed the course of history.

Austin stood on the stoop of the apartment Danny shared with his wife and daughter. The two best friends hardly saw one another these days, but even twenty years later, they still knew one another better than anybody. She reached out and knocked slowly on the door.

Danny pulled open the door, leaning heavily on his cane, "Hawthorne."

"Messer." A grin overtook her face and she wrapped her arms tightly around her best friend.

"Oh, Kid, I've missed you." Danny let the cane slip to the floor as he hugged her.

Austin pulled away and smiled, "God, Mess, you forget how to shave?"

"Shut up." Danny grabbed his cane, "It's distinguishing."

"No it's not." Austin laughed.

Lindsay walked past her with a load of laundry on her hip, "Convince him that it looks like he's wearing a raccoon on his face."

"She's right, Danny." Austin slipped her coat off and hung it up beside Danny's and shut the door, "Just because you're an invalid is no reason to not keep up personal hygiene."

"And then Danny Messer beat his best friend to death with his cane." Danny mocked.

"I'll show ya where ya can shove that thing." Austin replied, flopping down on the couch and crossing her feet, "Where's the Mini-Messer?"

"Napping." Danny shrugged, sitting down beside her and propping his feet on the coffee table.

"What the hell are you still doing with a cane anyways, Daniel?" Austin raised an eyebrow, "I thought you'd be running marathons by now."

"Breaking out the Daniel? What did I do to deserve that?!" Danny feigned hurt and pressed a hand to his heart.

"Daniel Dominick..." Austin warned.

"Austin Graceless." Danny grinned as Austin's palm connected with his upper arm.

"Just because my middle name is Grace doesn't give you the right to pick on me." Austin huffed and crossed her arms.

"No, but I've seen you trip over air and fall down a flight of stairs, so I kind of do know how graceless you are." Danny ducked as she went to hit him again.

"Ass!" Austin stuck out her tongue.

"Me? Ass? You're the one beating up the cripple." Danny pouted and rubbed his arm.

Austin rolled her eyes, "You deserve it."

"So, did you come over here for a reason or are you just here to abuse me?"

"I came for a reason, the abuse is just a fringe benefit." Austin smirked.

"State your case, Hawthorne." Danny crossed his arms.

"You know Don...."

Danny smirked, "Flack? Brown hair? Blue eyes?"

"Wiseass." Austin sighed, "Yes, Don Flack."

"I've heard of him." Danny chuckled; the three had been a trio since high school and he had seen his friends pine for one another for the better part of ten years.

"We're kind of seeing one another... again." Austin took a deep breath and letting it out.

"About damn time." Danny laughed and Austin cuffed him upside the head.

"Quit bein' a duh-ta-duh!" Austin crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Quit actin' like a love struck teenager." Danny stuck out his tongue.

"I swear, Danny, they're gonna have to dredge the Hudson to find your body." Austin grabbed a pillow and whacked him upside the head with it.

"Don't start a battle you'll lose, Austin." Danny grabbed a pillow and whacked her back.

"Children." Lindsay came in to the room, "Put my throw pillows down. Now."

"Yes, Mom." They deadpanned in unison.

Lindsay laughed and shook her head. It had taken her awhile to get accustomed to their antics. Danny seemed to regress to his childhood when Austin was around, but she also put him in a good mood. Lindsay had decided to just embrace the happiness and let it be, "Austin, ya gonna stay for dinner?"

"A meal I don't have to cook? Always."

"A meal I don't have to cook." Lindsay grabbed the phone, "Ray's okay with everyone?"

"I love my wife." Danny pulled Lindsay over the back of the couch and into his lap.

"Danny." Lindsay rolled her eyes as he kissed her.

"It shows." Austin smiled. She loved watching Danny and Lindsay, they left her with warm fuzzies and a desire to someday have that kind of love.

A cry came over the baby monitor that was sitting on the end table. Lindsay sighed and lowered the volume, "Luce is up and probably needs changed."

"I'll get her." Austin offered, already standing up.

Lindsay raised an eyebrow, "You sure, Austin?"

"Yeah." Austin shrugged, "I kinda-sorta adore your child, Messers."

Austin padded in her Converse down the hall to the daisy covered nursery. She smiled at her ten month old surrogate niece. Lucy's face was red from crying and her blonde hair was all awry from her nap. Austin scooped the little girl up and bounced her lightly, "Hey, Lucy Elizabeth."

Lucy began to quiet and leaned into Austin's neck.

Austin breathed in that sweet baby scent and walked over to the changing table, "It's me, Auntie Austin, 'member?" She unfastened the onesie and gathered the things she needed to change the dirty diaper, "I'm your Daddy's friend." She pressed a kiss to Lucy's nose, "I'll teach ya all the things that annoy him to no end when you're a bit older."

Once the diaper was successfully changed, Austin carried the little girl out to her parents, "We're up and ready to raise some hell."

"Like always." Danny chuckled, taking his little girl into his arms. Lucy's hands pulled at the short beard hairs, "Ow! Lu!"

"Good girl." Austin and Lindsay laughed.

"Why are you so mean to Daddy?" Danny asked the little girl, "Aunt Austin is teaching you too many dirty tricks."

"Wait til I tell her all the hell you and Louie used to cause." Austin chuckled.

Danny raised an eyebrow, "I do recall you following me and Louie into trouble a lot of those times."

"I was a young innocent that you lead into a life of sin." She smiled.

Danny snorted.

Lindsay watched the two and shook her head, "I feel like I should pop some popcorn."

"We put on a good show, Abbott." Austin bowed slightly.

"Indeed, we do, Costello."

The door buzzer went off and Lindsay stood up, "Gimme your wallet."

"You're spending me out of house and home, Woman." Danny pulled his wallet from his pocket and gave it to his wife.

"Yeah, just to keep you fed." Lindsay rolled her eyes and went to let the pizza man in.

"KWAPISH!" Austin made a whipped motion.

"Lucy, go bite Aunt Austin." Danny instructed his daughter.

"Lucy loves me too much to bite me." Austin stuck out her tongue.

"But I'm her Daddy."

"Exactly. You have a whole lifetime ahead of you filled with your daughter ignoring you." Austin traced her finger around Lucy's plump baby cheek.

"Nah!" Danny protested, "She loves me. She's gonna think her daddy walks on water."

"I'm sure she will." Austin smiled, "You're a great dad, Danny."

"I just... I don't want to become my old man."

Austin nodded, knowing exactly what he meant, "We're not our dads, Messer."

"How do you know?"

"Cause if you ever acted like Pop Messer, I'd shoot you myself." Austin smirked.

Danny grinned, "Yeah, okay, Wiseass."

"You've known me for twenty years, Messer, that's nothing new." Austin stood up and went to help Lindsay with the pizzas.

"You're good for him." Lindsay whispered as Austin took a box off her hands.

Austin shrugged, "I'm just repaying the favor, Linds. He's saved my ass more times than I can count."

"I know." Lindsay nodded.

"You doing okay?" Austin lead the way to the kitchen, sitting the box on the counter, "Dealing with everything?"

"I'm fine." Lindsay sighed, "The occasional sob fest, but I'm alright."

"You ever need someone to babysit or put a boot up his stubborn ass, call me." Austin squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"Thanks."

"Any time." Austin scooped up a couple of slices onto a paper plate, "Messer, get off your ass and come get your own food."

"Who died and made you Queen of England?" Danny retorted.

"Move, Daniel, before I tell your wife about that time you went out with Janine Spears and how it ended with you calling me in the middle of the night naked from a payphone to pick you up." Austin grinned.

"Evil Witch." Danny came into the kitchen, pulling Austin's hair on the way.

"What?" Lindsay's jaw dropped.

"He acted like a perverted sixteen year old and so Janine dumped his naked ass off on the side of the road." Austin smirked, "His white ass glowed in the moonlight."

"Are there pictures?" Lindsay asked.

Danny growled, "I hate you both. Flack's my new best friend."

"Poor Danny." Austin pouted dramatically as she took a seat on the couch. Lucy bounced in her playpen at the sight of the pizza, "Already creating a Ray's junkie, Mess?"

"Of course." Danny flopped down in the well worn chair.

"So... you and Flack?" Lindsay smiled, sitting on the other end of the couch. Danny had filled Lindsay's head with stories of the great will-they/won't-they couple.

Austin nodded, "Yeah."

"Is this gonna turn into a girl thing?" Danny made a face.

"God, no." Austin made a face.

Lindsay rolled her eyes, "You're such a guy, Austin Hawthorne."

"When it comes to this sort of thing? Damn straight."

The evening passed nicely; finishing off both pizzas and getting in a fight over the Giants and the 49ers. As Lindsay went to get Lucy ready for bed, Austin bid her goodbyes. She slipped her brown leather coat over her shoulders and pulled her dark brown hair from under it.

"Come around more." Danny whispered in her ear as he hugged her.

Austin nodded, "No more of this months without seeing each other."

"I'm sure we'll see each other at Flack's." Danny raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Austin slugged his shoulder, "Stop it."

"Austin... it's right for the two of you." Danny tucked a brown lock behind her ear, "He would never use you as a rebound. And if anyone says anything about it being too soon after Jess, I'll beat their asses."

"How did you-"

"-Cause I know you, Austin Grace."

"And you look out for me." She kissed his cheek, "I'll see you Danny. Shave and be without that damn cane next time."

"Yes, Ma'am." Danny grinned and shut the door behind her.

Austin walked down the stairs to the street below. She hailed a cab and slid inside, rattling off the address to Don Flack's apartment. Danny's words in her ears calmed her and she knew no matter what, he'd be there – like he always was.


End file.
